PS 104K: Mark of Excellence

The iconic Brooklyn artist Michael “Kaves” McCleer returned to his middle school alma mater to pay tribute to its “Mark of Excellence” on his life. The mural replaces hist first mural collaboration with Thrive Collective on the same wall, which had been extensively damaged following recent renovations at the school. Kaves describes the significance of this project and school:

PS 104 is where it all started. Sixth grade. Between this schoolyard and the Verrazano Bridge, I honed my craft.

Back then, kids like me needed outlets to be seen, to be heard, to figure out who we were. They used to say “kids should be seen, not heard.” Well, I made sure they saw me. But it wasn’t without struggle.

Luckily, I had an art teacher here who dropped a few kind words my way. That’s all it took. A little encouragement can go a long way. You never know what a kid is going through at home. School might be the only place they feel safe where they can learn, eat, create… and maybe dream.

So here I am, back at the yard, creating some art for the next generation. I’ve been blessed to achieve things I only imagined back then, and I owe so much to where it all began.

To all the teachers out there: Thank you.

To the style writers of tomorrow: Break the rules.

And to PS 104 your motto still echoes loud: Mark of Excellence.

Hail to 104.